Max Verstappen left Mexico City grinning, and not just because the mariachi band was on point. He lost ground to Lando Norris on the day, sure, but the wider picture looks brighter: his deficit in the championship is down to 36 points with four race weekends left. That’s 116 points still up for grabs. For a driver who thrives on long-haul title fights, it’s an invitation, not a warning.
This is the season that turned into an arm wrestle. McLaren’s refusal to pick a favourite when Oscar Piastri led the championship cracked the door open; Verstappen has since barged through it. Once more than 100 points adrift after Zandvoort, he’s hauled himself into striking range, with Norris now edging Piastri by a single point at the top.
From the Red Bull camp, Helmut Marko isn’t exactly hiding his optimism. The motorsport advisor told Sky Deutschland that their title chances remain “intact”, adding a pointed kicker: McLaren’s commitment to internal “fairness” might be the very thing that helps deliver another Verstappen crown. He contrasted it with Red Bull’s stance, where everything is built around Max. It’s not subtle. It never is.
There’s a philosophical divide at play, and it’s shaping this championship. McLaren have held the line on equal treatment; Norris and Piastri race, the points land where they land. It feels principled—and it’s been excellent for the spectacle—but the price is obvious. When your opponents organise around one hammer blow, it’s harder to win a war with two swords.
Norris, though, now holds the initiative. He finally pried back the lead with Mexico City victory and has momentum to match. The question is whether he can sit with the pressure that comes with being the man to beat. Former F1 driver Timo Glock framed it neatly: understanding pressure in theory isn’t the same as living with it once the visor drops. Norris has been here before this year and blinked. If he’s learned the lesson, the title is his to convert.
On the other side of the McLaren garage, Piastri’s last two rounds have been bruising. Andrea Stella has been careful to stress it’s not politics, it’s conditions—heat, low grip, a car skating on the edge. The team believes the final four tracks will be kinder and that the Australian’s form will rebound. No conspiracies, no coded messages. Just a driver who’s been out of the operating window at the wrong time.
But this is precisely where Verstappen becomes deadly. He doesn’t need a purple patch; he needs a wobble from either McLaren. One DNF, one clumsy tangle, one safety car at the wrong moment, and the whole thing flips. Red Bull will squeeze every angle. They’ll prioritise strategy, track position, upgrades—everything—around a single goal. If the wider Red Bull family needs to lean in, history suggests they won’t hesitate. Ruthless is a compliment in this business.
The competitive map has also flattened. There’s no single-track banker anymore—no guarantees week to week—which is why Marko’s line about “advantages” coming and going rings true. That inconsistency is the friend of the hunter. Verstappen has already turned this chase from improbable to plausible. The math says he needs help; the form book says he’s forcing the issue.
For now, the scoreboard reads like a thriller: Norris ahead by one from Piastri, Verstappen 36 back. Three drivers, two cars in one team, one heavyweight who knows exactly how to close. If McLaren stay hands-off, they’ll keep the moral high ground and the title fight spicy. If they blink and pick a lane, it’ll be the most consequential radio message of the year.
Either way, the season’s character is set. Norris has to become a closer. Piastri has to reset under heat. Verstappen has to keep dragging this thing towards Abu Dhabi with that familiar relentlessness. We’ve seen all three do parts of that already. Now they have to do it when it matters most.
The margin for error? Nonexistent. The storyline? Box office. The favourite? That depends on how you feel about “fairness” versus focus.
